WSJ: Pandora Nears Deals For On-Demand Streaming

August 19, 2016 at 4:00 AM (PT)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL reports PANDORA is as close as one month away from launching an on-demand music streaming service. The paper writes, the webcaster will be, "offering its hallmark free tier as well as two new monthly subscription options that will mark its foray into on-demand music streaming, said people familiar with the matter."

The report notes, "PANDORA is close to inking deals with major record companies that will allow it to do so both in the U.S. and in new overseas markets, though the agreements haven’t been finalized, these people said."

It's a surprise to some that the major record labels agreed to the move. "In recent years, many label executives have shunned PANDORA for paying them far lower rates per user than services such as SPOTIFY under the terms of their compulsory government licenses, while competing with such services for music fans’ time and attention," added THE JOURNAL.